ATHLETICS

World Athletics Ultimate Championship: Dates, venue, British athletes, events & more

Jaquob Crooke Updated: 07 Sep 26 20:47

The world's best athletes will head to Budapest for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

The streamlined meeting features Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners and the year’s best-performing athletes.

There are no medals on the line, but the victor of each individual discipline will be crowned the "Ultimate Champion" and receive their own trophy.

Organised by World Athletics, it's hoped the new competition will make the sport more accessible to new fans. Thefirst-ever edition features 28 events -- 26 individual disciplines and two mixed relays -- with almost 400 athletes expected to compete.

Find out everything you need to know about the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

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Dates

The 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships will begin on Friday 11th September and conclude on Sunday 13th September.

Host & Venue

The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships is being held at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

An all-purpose stadium with a maximum capacity of 36,000, construction of the venue was completed in June 2023 and it hosted the World Athletics Championships in the same year.

Format & Events

The World Athletics Ultimate Championships will consist of eight track events and five field events for male and female athletes. There are two mixed disciplines: 4x400m relay and 4x100m relay.

There is a quota of sixteen athletes for individual track events, eight athletes for field events, and eight teams for relays.

Invitees includes Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners and the year’s best-performing athletes.

Men's Disciplines	Women's Disciplines	Mixed Disciplines
100m	100m	4x400m Relay
200m	200m	4x100m Relay
400m	400m
800m	800m
1500m	1500m
5000m	5000m
110m Hurdles	100m Hurdles
400m Hurdles	400m Hurdles
Pole Vault	Pole Vault
High Jump	High Jump
Long Jump	Long Jump
Hammer Throw	Triple Jump
Javelin Throw	Javelin Throw

Why is Shot Put and Discus Throw not included in the World Athletics Ultimate Championships?

With organisers of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships aiming to create a fast-paced and made-for-TV spectacle, shot put and discus throw have not been included on the schedule.

The field events chosen are those deemed the most popular from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, and they have been selected to adhere to the strict three-hour television window.

There is also no women’s hammer throw or men’s triple jump.

From the track events, longer races in the shape of the 10,000m and the 3,000m steeplechase have also been omitted.

Which British athletes are competing?

10 male athletes from Team GB will be competing in the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, while a total of 10 British female athletes will be vying for glory in Budapest.

After opting to skip the European Athletics Championships following his Commonwealth triumph, mile world record holder Josh Kerr renews his rivalry with Jakob Ingrebrigtsen in the 1500m.

There's also a return to action for Keely Hodgkinson, who features in a stacked 800m field alongside world-leading Audrey Werro and the ever improving Femke Broeders-Bol.

European champions Amy Hunt, Georgia Hunter Bell, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu all feature.

There's also a clutch of silver medallists from the European Athletics Championships including long jumper Jazmin Sawyers and two of the women's 4x400m crew in Yemi Mary John and Lina Nielsen.

Women